Composite fur-bearing pelt and method of fabrication thereof

ABSTRACT

Letout, reassembled and sewn composite fur-bearing pelt composed of a plurality of separate pieces, e.g. relatively narrow strips, cut from the same natural pelt having the slant, i.e. flow or lay, of the fur hair thereof extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the pelt to the rump end thereof, including such pieces sewn together in reassembled relation, e.g. offset lengthwise with respect to one another, in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn and having the slant of the hair of each such reversed piece extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof; and method of fabrication of composite pelt consonant therewith by letting out, reassembling and sewing such pieces in said same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation about one-half turn.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Carl P.Piampiano 2601 Wadsworth Road, Zion, 111. 60099 [21] Appl. No. 36,127 [22] Filed May 11, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 12, I971 [54] COMPOSITE FUR-BEARING PELT AND METHOD OF FABRICATION THEREOF 22 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl ,112/401, 69/22, 161/62 [51] Int. Cl D05b 93/00 [50] Field of Search ..69/22; 2/65,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,558,279 10/1925 Post 69/22 2,120,152 6/1938 Post... 112/401 2,287,733 6/1942 Fried........ 69/22 2,385,884 10/1945 Schneider 112/401 APPARENT Primary ExaminerAlfred R. Guest Attorneys-Robert E. lsner and Peter J. Franco ABSTRACT: Letout, reassembled and sewn composite furbearing pelt composed of a plurality of separate pieces, e.g. relatively narrow strips, cut from the same natural pelt having the slant, i.e. flow or lay, of the fur hair thereof extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the pelt to the rump end thereof, including such pieces sewn together in reassembled relation, e.g. offset lengthwise with respect to one another, in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn and having the slant of the hair of each such reversed piece extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof; and method of fabrication of composite pelt consonant therewith by letting out, reassembling and sewing such pieces in said same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation about one-half turn.

APPARENT SIDE APPARENT RUMP END PATENIED nun 2 IBYI APPARENT RUMP EN/D APPARENT HEAD ENDUN SHEET 2 0F 2 APPARENT GROETZEN RU MP END CARL INVENTOR.

P. PIAMPIANO ATTORNEY COMPOSITE FUR-BEARING PELT AND METHOD OF FABRICATION THEREOF The present invention relates to the letting out, reassembling and sewing together of a fur-bearing pelt to form a composite pelt, and more particularly to a method of letting out and sewing in reassembled relation a fur-bearing pelt to form a composite pelt in which the resultant plurality of separate letout pieces are sewn together in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn to provide the slant of the hair of each such rotated piece extending in a direction substantially opposite from that of the natural pelt, as well as to the composite pelt so formed.

. ln the manufacture of fur-bearing garments, fur-bearing skins or natural hides or pelts are let out, i.e. cut into pieces or strips and then reassembled and sewn together as elongated composite pelts or stripes in accordance with the particular garment pattern was to make the best possible use of the skins with a minimum of wastage. The subsequent setting of the skins, i.e. the positioning of each skin or composite pelt in the garment in relation to its neighbors and to the garment as a whole, must be carried out in turn so that the skins are arranged in tasteful combination while making economical use of the various pieces.

The natural slant of the fur hair, e.g. mink fur, generally extends in a direction from the head end to the rump end of the natural hide or pelt, so that the flow, nap or lay of the fur appears to be directed longitudinally from head to tail. Inherently, the hair is shorter in length at the head end of the natural pelt and gradually increases in length to the longer hair at the rump end of the pelt.

When the pelt is incorporated in the garment, this direction of slant of the hair or fur as well as the concomitant gradation of its length are retained, so that the flow, nap or lay of the' fur extends longitudinally rearwardly or downwardly from the head of the wearer or top of the garment toward the toe or bottom thereof, and the gradation of hair length is likewise oriented. Thus, in the incorporation of the fur pieces or pelts in the garment, this natural slant or flow of the hair and the concomitant hair length gradation are always maintained and a hair-down effect is achieved.

The conventional method of letting out, reassembling and sewing a natural pelt, prior to the setting of the skins, which method has not changed in the last 50 to 75 years, has been to cut open the full natural hide or pelt ventrally, i.e. at the belly, and then to split the cut-open hide or pelt in half longitudinally by severing the pelt dorsally, i.e. at the groetzen or middle of the back, on a line from the head end to the rump end or tail end thereof. Each resulting half pelt, which for convenience may be designated a lateral half pelt, is then cut into pieces, usually in the fonn of parallel, long, narrow lateral Strips, extending from the groetzen to the side (belly) on a slant pointing forwardly in a direction from the rump end to the head end of the corresponding pelt.

ln the letting out operation, the first cut, for instance in a mink pelt in which the natural slant of the hair or fur is from head to rump, extends from the groetzen about 2 inches below the head end of the pelt toward the upper corner at the side (belly) along a straight line at an upward angle. This first piece will be shaped like a triangle. The second cut is made parallel to the first cut, and each successive cut is similarly parallel to the next preceding cut so as to form parallel long narrow strips of approximately the same width. The number of cuts and the width of each strip will vary depending upon how long and narrow the resulting composite pelt or stripe is to be when reassembled and sewn back together in accord with the pattern to be followed.

In sewing the various pieces or strips back together to form the composite pelt, each strip is offset in lateral or lengthwise relation so as to make the composite pelt longer and narrower to fit the pattern better. Each piece or strip, however, is always sewed back in place along the same cut and in the same positional sequence and orientation as in the original pelt yet on a more pronounced slant offset lengthwise to provide the desired longer and narrower composite pelt.

Nonnally, the number of strips, their width and the degree of lengthwise offset are selected to provide a composite pelt or stripe having a length corresponding to the length of the garment, and these stripes are sewn together in side-by-side disposition using sufficient stripes to fill out the necessary girth of the garment. f

The end result is that the slant and length gradation of the hair (on the hair or fur side) have not been changed. The slant of the hair still points downwardly or rearwardly from neck to rump or tail in relation to the original pelt and in turn in relation to the composite pelt or stripe in the gannent, the composite pelt being a hair-down pelt. As aforesaid, no change has occurred in this method for over 50 to years.

Garments have been made previously which may be designated hair-up garments, by merely turning upside down or rotating one-half turn the usual letout, reassembled and sewn composite pelt or stripe so that the flow of the hair or fur is upward. However, when incorporated in garment in this manner, with the rump end fur hair of the composite pelt or stripe at the top and the head end fur hair at the bottom, a topheavy appearance results which is contrary to nature; too much fur is at the shoulders and not enough fur is at the bottom of the garment. This is especially true because the hair length gradation has been concomitantly reversed with the reversal of the stripe, placing the longer rump hair at the top of the garment and the shorter neck hair at the bottom thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome deficiencies previously encountered and to provide a letout, reassembled and sewn composite fur-bearing pelt in which the slant of the hair extends in a direction substantially forwardly or upwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof, while avoiding a topheavy appearance contrary to nature as in the case where the hair length gradation has been reversed and too much fur is at the apparent head end of the composite pelt and not enough fur is at the bottom thereof.

It is another object to provide such a composite pelt in which the hair points upwardly toward the resultant apparent head end of the pelt while-essentially all of the letout separate pieces of the same original pelt are retained in the same positional sequence in reassembled relation, yet preferably in the form of lateral strips ofi'set lengthwise with respect to one another in substantially lateral direction.

It is a further object to provide such'a composite pelt in which the hair is substantially uniformly graded to simulate the natural gradation of hair length of the original pelt but reversed in direction so as to provide a hair-up orientation.

It is still another object to provide such a composite pelt from separate letout pieces cut from the same natural pelt in the form of lateral strips extending rearwardly and downwardly in a direction from the head end to the rump end in relation to the original natural pelt.

It is a still further object to provide a method of fabricating a composite pelt of the foregoing type by letting out, reassembling and sewing such pieces together in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn so that the slant of the hair of essentially each such piece extends in a direction upwardly or forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the within specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

HO. 1 is a schematic plan view representing diagrammatically a cut-open full natural hide or pelt, and showing in dashline the longitudinal central dorsal cut used to form lateral pelt halves and the sequential downwardly and outwardly inclined or angular cuts used to form the separate pieces or strips from each such half for producing a composite pelt according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view similar to FIG. 1, showing in dashline the cuts used to form the lateral pelt halves and separate pieces or strips from each such half for producing a composite pelt according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the left lateral half pelt of FIG. 1, severed longitudinally from the right lateral half pelt, showing the actual lines of cut used to form the separate pieces or strips in the letting out of the pelt in relation to the original natural pelt, with the slant of the hair extending in the direction of the arrows from the head end to the rump end of the pelt;

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the sewn composite pelt or stripe made from the separate pieces or strips cut from the pelt of FIGS. 1 and 3, disposed in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but, aside from the first piece, individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn so that the slant of the hair of all such rotated pieces extends in the direction of the arrows from the apparent rump end to the apparent head end of the pelt;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the ordinally reversed combined right and left halves of the original pelt of FIG. 1 in the form of sewn composite pelts or stripes, showing the common trimmed edges along which the composite pelts are sewn to each other;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a portion of a hair-up furcontaining garment, showing in dashline the disposition and orientation therein of the combined composite pelts of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views of a left lateral half pelt and sewn composite pelt or stripe, respectively, illustrating a preferred commercial embodiment of the composite pelt or stripe of the invention and its method of fabrication.

It has been found in accordance with the present invention that a letout, reassembled and sewn composite fur-bearing pelt may now be provided which comprises a plurality of separate pieces, cut sequentially from the same natural pelt having the slant of the fur hair thereof extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the pelt to the normal rump end thereof, sewn together in reassembled relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn and having the slant of the hair of each such rotated piece extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof.

It has been furthermore found in accordance with the invention that a method of fabricating the fur-bearing composite pelt correspondingly may be provided, which comprises letting out a natural pelt having the slant of the fur hair thereof extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the pelt to the normal rump end thereof, by cutting sequentially a plurality of separate pieces from the same such natural pelt, and sewing together such pieces in reassembled relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately onehalf turn to provide the slant of the hair of each such rotated piece extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof.

Generally, such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ven trally cutopen natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt. The pieces are preferably in the form of substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation, e.g. approximately 180.

In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt from a proximate edge, formed at the substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the normal head end of the half pelt to the normal rump end thereof, to a distal edge, formed at the corresponding ventrally cutopen lateral side of the half pelt.

Because of the shape of the natural pelt and the manner of executing the slanted cuts to form the successive pieces from the corresponding lateral half pelt, the first and last longitudinally successive pieces, at the head and rump ends respectively of the half pelt, are approximately triangular shaped, whereas the remaining intermediate pieces are in the form of such strips which are approximately parallelogram shaped. After suitable trimming, all of the pieces, sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same such positional sequence, provide a composite pelt or stripe which is pronouncedly longer than the original half pelt and whose longitudinal sides form straight even edges. These edges constitute resultant apparent proximate and distal edges relative to the original proximate and distal edges of the lateral half pelt from which the composite pelt is made.

Advantageously, the corresponding composite pelts or stripes made from the two lateral halves of the same natural pelt can be sewn together along the corresponding resultant apparent proximate edges thereof to provide a combined composite pelt assembly. Each composite pelt or the combined composite pelt assembly, or both, as the case may be, can be incorporated in the form of a pelt element or stripe element in a fur skin-containing garment with similar composite pelts or the like by sewing the respective pelt elements or stripe assemblies thereinto.

Referring to the drawing, FIG. I shows the disposition of the lines of cut I to 8 and 1' to 8', respectively, in a schematically depicted natural fur-bearing pelt, for example a mink pelt, already ventrally cut open longitudinally along the centerline of the belly from the head end to the rump end or tail to form a substantially flat pelt having corresponding distal edges de longitudinally extending from the head end to the rump end at the sides as well as a head edge he and a rump edge re.

A longitudinally central dorsal cut extending from the head end to the rump end is normally first made along the center dashline shown in FIG. I, at the location of the groetzen or middle back, to sever the pelt into two lateral halves, a left pelt half lph and a right pelt half rph, each having a corresponding proximate edge pe thereat opposing the respective distal edge de.

Thereafter, the outwardly and rearwardly or downwardly slanting sequential cuts 1 to 8, and l and 8', respectively, are made in each of the resulting lateral pelt halves in the letting out operation, to form a plurality of individual pieces or laterally directed lengthwise strips A to I, and A and l, respectively, extending from the corresponding proximate edge pe to the appropriate distal edge de.

While only eight cut lines to produce nine corresponding pieces are shown for each corresponding pelt half made from the pelt of FIG. 1, it will be realized that this has been done for convenience in representing diagrammatically the concept involved and that any number of cuts and concomitant pieces may be provided depending on the pattern of the garment to be manufactured. Usually, for a 14- to 26-inch natural pelt, such as a mink pelt, as many as 60 to such cuts are made in each pelt half for producing a concomitant number of pieces or strips. Understandably, the number of cuts will determine the number and width of the resulting pieces or strips, especially since normal practice contemplates the cutting of pieces or strips of about the same width. These strips are preferably long and narrow strips.

The natural slant, lay or nap of the hair or fur (not shown) of the original pelt and of the two lateral halves made therefrom extends in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end to the normal rump end thereof. Upon cutting the strips along the outwardly and rearwardly slanting lines 1 to 8, and I to 8', respectively, the formed individual pieces A to I, and A to I', respectively, retain the same rearward or downward, i.e. hair-down, direction of flow, as indicated by the individual arrows in FIG. 1.

By dint of the parallel slanting cuts, opposing lengthwise edges la, lb to 80, and 8b, and la, lb' to 80', 8b, respectively are fonned on the corresponding individual pieces in longitudinal ordinal sequence in a direction substantially from the head end to the rump end of the pelt, laterally bounded by the appropriate longitudinally extending proximate edges pe and distal edges de, of the separate lateral half pelts Iph and rph.

In the left half pelt, each strip A to l in relation to the original natural pelt correspondingly has a normal head end lengthwise edge he, 1b to 8b facing the head end, and a normal rump end lengthwise edge la to 8a, re facing the rump end, with the slant of the fur hair of each strip extending in a direction substantially rearwardly according to the depicted arrows in FIG. 1 from the normal head end lengthwise edge toward the normal rump end lengthwise edge of the strip.

A corresponding orientation applies in the case of the right half pelt for strips A to I, normal head end lengthwise edges he, lb to 8b and normal rump end lengthwise edges la to 8a, re.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative orientation for cutting the individual pieces from the natural pelt after the pelt has been severed along the central longitudinal dashline at the groetzen to form the two half pelts. In this embodiment, which corresponds to the conventional letting-out technique, the slanting dashlines of cut extend outwardly and forwardly or upwardly toward the head end of the pelt rather than outwardly and rearwardly or downwardly toward the rump end thereof as in the embodiment of FIG. 1. The individual pieces or strips AA to II of the left half pelt as viewed in the drawing and the corresponding pieces or strips AA to II of the right half pelt therein are thus produced, each having the slant of the hair or fur thereof extending in a direction from the head end to the rump end of the pelt in accordance with the individual arrows shown. Otherwise, these pieces or strips are the same as those out from the half pelts of FIG. 1. Naturally, the number of cuts and concomitant pieces and their widths may be selected as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, with 60 to 80 such cuts being normally contemplated.

FIG. 3 shows the left half pelt cut from the natural pelt of FIG. I in subdivided form with the actual cuts 1 to 8 made in the half pelt to produce the longitudinally successive individual pieces or strips A to I, laterally bounded between the proximate edge pe at the longitudinal central dorsal out along the groetzen and the distal edge de at the side along the belly where the longitudinal central ventral cut was made to open the natural pelt into flat form. The pieces are in their original orientation with the slant of the hair of the strips still pointing rearwardly or downwardly from the head end toward the rump end in relation to the original half pelt. Pieces B to H are long narrow longitudinally successive strips of approximately the same width and approximately parallelogram shaped, whereas the first and last longitudinally successive pieces A and I are approximately triangular shaped.

FIG. 4 shows the individual pieces or strips A to I of the half pelt of FIG. 3 in the form of a composite pelt or stripe. The pieces are sewn together in reassembled relation in the same positional sequence as in FIG. 3, but pieces B to I are individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn, e.g. 180 reversal, and the slant of the hair of the rotated pieces now extends in a direction substantially forwardly or upwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the half pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof.

The slant of the hair of now individually reversed longitudinally successively contiguous pieces or strips B to I is depicted by the individual arrows on the respective strips in FIG. 4, as opposed to the slant of the hair of corresponding first longitudinally successive piece A at the head end in relation to the original half pelt. The first piece A is retained in original orientation as a reference piece in accordance with an op tional feature of the invention and is sewn to the next adjacent piece B with the slant of the hair of the firs piece A extending in the original direction substantially rearwardly from the head end to the rump end in relation to the half pelt.

However, if desired, this piece A may also be reversed in the same way as pieces B to I so that the slant of the hair of this piece, like the remaining pieces, extends forwardly or upwardly in a direction from the apparent rump end to the apparent head end of the composite pelt (cf. FIGS. 7 and 8). Since the first and last triangular pieces will be substantially trimmed off eventually along with the trimming of the parallel cut strips in the final operation, the orientation of these triangular pieces will be of secondary significance anyway.

As compared with the orientation of the plurality of pieces depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3, it is seen that each longitudinally successive rotated strip B to I in the left half composite pelt or stripe of FIG. 4 has its normal head end lengthwise edge lb to 8b, respectively, facing the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt and its normal rump end lengthwise edge 20 to 8a, re, respectively, facing the resultant apparent head end of the composite pelt. In turn, the slant of the hair of each such rotated strip extends, as noted above, in a direction substantially forwardly or upwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge lb to 8b, respectively, toward the normal rump end lengthwise edge 2a to 8a, re, respectively, of the particular strip.

All of the strips in the composite pelt as shown in FIG. 4 are longitudinally successively contiguous in their sewn reassembled relation and in the same positional sequence or longitudinal ordinal sequence, yet the individual pieces or strips are offset lengthwise with respect to one another in the conventional manner. This lengthwise offsetting of the pieces or strips in effected to achieve a pronounced elongation of the length or longitudinal dimension of the composite pelt or stripe in comparison to the length or longitudinal dimension of the original lateral half pelt, with a concomitant narrowing of the pelt width as well.

The degree of lengthwise offsetting of the pieces, as aforesaid, depends upon the length of the composite pelt or stripe needed to fit the pattern of the garment to be manufactured. In the case of a full-length fur coat, for instance, each composite pelt or stripe will be made in a length corresponding to the length, i.e. height, of the coat. In such instance 60 to individual pieces or strips are cut in the outwardly slanting pattern discussed above, and these are sewn in offset relation in the contemplated reversed orientation, with a selective incremental distance of offset, usually constant, as between contiguous successive pieces which is sufficient to achieve the necessary more pronounced overall length for the coat.

FIG. 5 shows an optional embodiment in which the composite pelt fonned form the left half pelt of FIGS. 1 and 3, i.e. that shown in FIG. 4, is combined with a corresponding such letout, reassembled and sewn composite pelt of the same type formed from the right half pelt of FIG. 1, by sewing these composite pelts or stripes together along their corresponding resultant apparent proximate edges.

It will be realized that because of the reverse orientation of the pieces in each composite pelt, the left half composite pelt is disposed on the right side of the combined pelt assembly of FIG. 5 while the right half composite pelt is disposed on the left side thereof, so that the portion of each strip adjacent the groetzen in relation to the original natural pelt will be disposed along the resultant apparent proximate edge at the resultant apparent groetzen of the combined pelt assembly. The main difference, of course, is that the hair of each composite pelt and of the combined pelt assembly now slants upwardly to provide a hair-up pelt appearance.

This step of combining pelt halves is normally undertaken after trimming the corresponding sides along the longitudinal extent of each respective composite pelt to form straight even edges thereat which constitute corresponding resultant apparent proximate and distal edges. These edges flare outwardly toward the apparent rump end to provide a corresponding flare in the garment. Of course, such trimming is usually carried out even where each composite pelt or stripe is not to be combined with that formed from the remaining lateral half pelt of the original full natural pelt as depicted in FIG. 5.

The various trimmed composite pelts or stripes and/or combined composite pelt assemblies, each of a selected length corresponding to the coat or other garment to be manufactured due to the degree of offset relation of the contiguous strips, are next set in vertical disposition in side by side relation and sewn together along the adjacent longitudinal edges thereof in the conventional manner whereby to produce the garment in question having a corresponding flare at the bottom.

Generally, in the middle of the back of the garment a combined composite pelt assembly is positioned and to the right alternately successively a first left half composite pelt, a second right half composite pelt, etc., are positioned, while to the left of the pelt assembly are positioned alternatively successively the corresponding first right half composite pelt from the same original pelt as said first left half composite pelt, the corresponding second left half composite pelt from the same original pelt as said second right half composite pelt, etc., to provide side to groetzen to side concordance of the stripes in the garment. The selection of the stripes and their ordinal sequence is part of the conventional setting technique mentioned above.

FIG. 6 shows schematically the disposition of a combined composite pelt or stripe assembly, similar to that depicted in FIG. 5, in relation to a fur skin-containing garment in which it is incorporated by sewing in the conventional manner, but with a hair-up appearance due to the reverse orientation of the strips in accordance with the invention. Because of the reverse orientation of each individual piece or strip in the letout, reassembled and sewn composite pelt, the normal gradation of hair length is maintained in the finished garment, i.e. the longer hair remains at the bottom of the garment and the shorter hair remains at the top of the garment in the same way as the natural gradation of hair length in the original pelt. Despite this, the garment is a hair-up garment rather than a hair-down garment as in the past. As the fur garment hangs vertically, of course, the hair will tend to fall to a more or less level or horizontal outward position, so that the hair points directly out. This results in a novel appearance not heretofore achieved by conventional fabricating techniques and which is particularly attractive.

Hence, the primary intent of the invention is to reverse the natural flow or slant of the hair, i.e. on the hair side of the fur pelt, so that such slant is forward or upward from the rump end to the neck end of the composite pelt to provide a hair-up garment, instead of rearward or downward from the neck end to the rump end of the pelt to provide a hair-down garment, while at the same time preserving essentially the original natural gradation of hair length in which the shorter hair remains at the neck end of the composite pelt and gradually increases in length uniformly along the longitudinal extent thereof to the longer hair at the rump end thereof.

The foregoing is achieved, of course, by cutting the particular half pelt into laterally extending lengthwise strips and reassembling and sewing the strips back together again in the same positional sequence as they were cut in the conventional manner, except that each strip is reversed and sewed back in place, strange cut to strange cut.

This is clear from a comparison of the orientation of the leading and trailing lateral lengthwise edges of the pieces of strips in FIGS. 3 and 4. While the parallel slanting cuts 1 to 8 produce correspondingly the leading edges lb to 8b and the trailing edges la to 8a for the respective strips A to l, as shown in FIG. 3, upon reversal and offset lengthwise positioning and sewing of the strips in ordinal sequence, the previous leading edges lb to 8b become the composite trailing edges and the previous trailing edges to 80 become the composite leading edges. Since in the optional embodiment in question, the first piece A is not reversed, the head edge he remains as the leading edge and the rump edge la remains as the trailing edge in the composite pelt.

However, in the alternate embodiment, in which the first piece A is also reversed, the previous leading edge he becomes the composite trailing edge and the previous trailing edge 10 becomes the composite leading edge (cf. FIGS. 7 and 8).

Although the previous trailing edge, designated rump edge re, of the last piece I has not been cut, it still becomes the composite leading edge upon reversal while the previous leading edge 8b becomes the composite trailing edge, as may be appreciated from FIG. 4.

Thus, in essence, upon reversal, the pieces are sewn back together in the composite pelt strange cut to strange cut or strange edge to strange edge, i.e. with opposed sets of strange edges la, 2a; 1b, 3a; 2b, 4a; 3b, 5a; 4b, 6a; 5b, 7a; 6b, 8a; and 7b, re being in common contiguous abutting relation with respect to one another. A corresponding strange cut to strange cut relationship of opposed sets of edges obtains also in connection with the right lateral half pelt (cf. FIGS. I and 5).

Of course, in the optional embodiment in which the first piece A of FIG. 4 is also reversed, the combination of opposed sets of strange edges will instead be: he, 2a; lb, 30; 2b, 4a; 3b, 5a; 4b, 6a; 5b, 7a; 6b, 8a; and 7b, re, as the artisan will appreciate. A corresponding optional combination is also contemplated for the right lateral half pelt.

If desired, the first and/or last pieces, normally triangular in shape, considering the outward slant of the cuts made in the given lateral half pelt, can even be trimmed to square off the apparent head and rump ends of the composite pelt, in the same manner as the trimming of the edges along the longitudinal sides of the composite pelt is carried out.

Optionally, the first and/or last pieces may be omitted altogether from the composite pelt, the main aim of the invention being to provide a composite pelt or stripe of pronounced elongation as compared with the original natural pelt from which it is made, having a plurality of separate pieces or strips cut therefrom sewn together in reassembled relation in the same positional sequence but in individually reversed orientation, preferably in lengthwise offset disposition sufficient to achieve the desired length for the composite pelt or strip in terms of the length of the garment in which the same is to be incorporated.

In accordance with the conventional method technique associated with the embodiment covered by FIG. 2, as aforesaid, he natural pelt is opened at the centerline of the belly by cutting it longitudinally ventrally, and the resulting full flat pelt is then split into two lateral half pelts at the centerline of the back or groetzen by cutting it longitudinally dorsally, these cuts usually being made in a direction from head to rump or tail. Next, each half pelt is cut on a forward slant from the groetzen to the lateral side formed by the belly line out, The first slanting cut is usually started at the groetzen about 2 inches below the head end of the pelt and angles up on a straight line to the upper comer at the lateral side producing a piece or strip triangular in shape. The second slanting cut is made parallel to the first cut and each successive cut is parallel to the preceding cut, these cuts forming long narrow strips of approximately the same width.

In regard to the preferred method embodiment of FIG. 1, instead of cutting from the groetzen to the lateral side as in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the cut usually is made from the lateral side to the groetzen. The first cut is started at the shoulder or side about 1 inch below the head end or top of the half pelt and angles up the groetzen near or at the head end to form a triangular-shaped first piece. The second and all successive cuts are then made parallel to the first cut so as to form long narrow strips of approximately the same width in the desired manner.

The only essential difi'erence in connection with the preferred method embodiment covered by FIG. 1 is that the slanting cuts made to form the pieces or strips are reversed as compared with those of FIG. 2, extending outwardly and downwardly or rearwardly, rather than outwardly and upwardly or forwardly. The number of cuts and the widths of the strips in either case will vary in dependence upon how long and narrow the composite pelt is to be when the reversed yet sequentially contiguous pieces or strips are sewn back together so as to fit the pattern, preferably in successive lengthwise offset relation of the pieces for a longer and narrower composite pelt or stripe.

Since the pieces are reassembled in the same sequence but reversed by rotation about one-half turn, the downwardly and rearwardly slanting cut of FIG. I, is preferred over the upwardly and forwardly slanting cut of FIG. 2, whereby to achieve maximum concordance of the gradation of hair length, with respect to that in the original half pelt, considering the flow or slant of the hair in the composite pelt. This is especially significant in view of the preferred pronounced lengthwise offset relation of the successive pieces in the composite pelt.

FIG. 7 shows a commercial left lateral half pelt as normally obtained. It is similar in orientation to that of FIGS. 1 and 3 but shows a larger number of slanted cuts and strips which extend to the head and rump ends and result in very small triangular first and last pieces.

FIG. 8 shows the strips reassembled and sewn in reversed orientation as the embodiment of FIG. 4, after trimming the resultant apparent head and rump ends and apparent groetzen and side to provide an outward flare toward the rump end. The original shape and disposition of the strips, e.g. at the apparent head and rump ends, may be seen from the dashline extensions.

To minimize difficulties, the workman starts at the head end of the half pelt of FIG. 7 and places the first triangular piece at the bottom of the composite pelt to be formed (FIG. 8) without rotating the piece, and takes each successive piece and places it ordinally above the last without rotating, thereby fonning the arrangement shown in FIG. 8. After sewing, the entire stripe may be rotated, but by the described ordinal sequence strange cut to strange cut orientation will result inherently while not unduly confusing the workman as might occur is each piece were individually rotated to keep throughout the apparent head end adjacent the original head end in practicing the basic method of the invention. The right lateral half pelt is prepared in the same manner.

It will be noted that the first triangular piece in the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 ends up in rotated or individually reversed orientation like all of the other pieces and unlike the orientation of the first triangular piece in the embodiment of FIG. 4.

The natural pelts contemplated herein are generally longhair animal pelts in which the hair normally slants from head to rump and is graded in size such that the shorter hair is at the head end and the longer hair is at the rump end, such as mink, marten, weasel, fitch, fox, rabbit, muskrat, raccoon, wolverine, ermine, sable, etc. pelts.

It will be appreciated that the instant specification and drawings are set forth by way of illustration and not limitation, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Letout, reassembled and sewn fur-bearing composite pelt which comprises a plurality of separate pieces, cut sequentially from the same natural pelt having the slant of the fur hair thereof extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the pelt to the normal rump end thereof, sewn together in reassembled relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn and having the slant of the hair of each such rotated piece extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof.

2. Pelt according to claim 1 wherein such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ventrally cut-open natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, and include substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately 3. Pelt according to claim 2 wherein the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt from a proximate edge, formed at the substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the normal head end of the half pelt to the normal rump end thereof, to a distal edge, formed at the corresponding ventrally cut-open lateral side of the half pelt.

4. Pelt according to claim 2 wherein the first and last longitudinally successive pieces are approximately triangular shaped, the remaining intermediate pieces are in the form of said strips and are approximately parallelogram shaped, and all of said pieces are sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same said positional sequence.

5. Pelt according to claim 4 wherein the plurality of separate pieces individually reversed in orientation includes all of the pieces from the same lateral half pelt except the first longitudinally successive piece at the normal head end of the original half pelt, said first piece being retained in original orientation and sewn to the next adjacent piece with the slant of the hair of the first piece extending in the original direction substantially rearwardly from the head end to the rump end in relation to the half pelt.

6. Letout, reassembled and sewn fur-bearing composite pelt which comprises a plurality of separate pieces cut from the same natural pelt in the form of substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips in longitudinal ordinal sequence in a direction substantially from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, each strip in relation to the original natural pelt having a normal head end lengthwise edge facing the head end and a normal rump end lengthwise edge facing the rump end with the slant of the fur hair of each strip extending in a direction substantiallyrearwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge toward the normal rump end lengthwise edge of the strip, sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same said longitudinal ordinal sequence but in individually reversed edge orientation of the strips with the normal rump end lengthwise edge of such longitudinally successive rotated strip facing the resultant apparent head end of the composite peltand the corresponding normal head end lengthwise edge facing the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt and in turn with the slant of the hair of each such rotated strip extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge to the normal rump end lengthwise edge of the strip.

7. Pelt according to claim 6 wherein such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ventrally cut-open natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, the lateral half pelt correspondingly having a normal head end, a normal rump end, a proximate edge formed at the central longitudinal cut and a distal edge formed at the corresponding side of the ventrally cut-open natural pelt, with the slant of the hair of the original lateral half pelt extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the half pelt to the rump end thereof, and such laterally extending lengthwise strips are of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately 180.

8. Pelt according to claim 7 wherein the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original later half pelt from said proximate edge to said distal edge.

9. Pelt according to claim 7 wherein the corresponding sides along the longitudinal extent of the composite pelt are trimmed to form straight even edges thereat, outwardly flared toward the apparent rump end, constituting corresponding resultant apparent proximate and distal edges.

10. Pelt according to claim 9 wherein the composite pelt is combined with a corresponding such letout, reassembled and sewn composite pelt of the same type formed from the remaining lateral half pelt of said natural pelt, the combined composite pelts being sewn together along the corresponding resultant apparent proximate edges thereof.

11. Pelt according to claim 9 wherein the composite pelt is in the fonn of an incorporated pelt element sewn into a fur skin-containing garment.

12. Method of fabricating a fur-bearing composite pelt which comprises letting out a natural pelt having the slant of the fur hair thereof extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the pelt to the normal rump end thereof, by cutting sequentially a plurality of separate pieces from the same such natural pelt, and sewing together such pieces in reassembled relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn to provide the slant of the hair of each such rotated piece extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof.

13. Method according to claim 12 wherein such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ventrally cut-open natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, and include substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately 180.

14. Method according to claim 3 wherein the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt from a proximate edge, formed at the substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the normal head end of the half pelt to the normal rump end thereof, to a distal edge, formed at the corresponding ventrally cut-open lateral side of the half pelt.

15. Method according to claim 13 wherein the first and last longitudinally successive pieces are approximately triangular shaped, the remaining intermediate pieces are in the form of said strips and are approximately parallelogram shaped, and all of said pieces are sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same said positional sequence.

16. Method according to claim 15 wherein the plurality of separate pieces individually reversed in orientation includes all of the pieces from the same lateral half pelt except the first longitudinally successive piece at the normal head end of the original half pelt, said first piece being retained in original orientation and sewn to the next adjacent piece with the slant of the hair of the first piece extending in the original direction substantially rearwardly from the head end to the rump end in relation to the half pelt.

17. Method of fabricating a fur-bearing composite pelt which comprises letting out a natural pelt by cutting a plurality of separate pieces from the same such natural pelt in the form of substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips in longitudinal ordinal sequence in a direction substantially from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, each strip in relation to the original natural pelt having a normal head end lengthwise edge facing the head end and a normal rump end lengthwise edge facing the rump end with the slant of the fur hair of each strip extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge toward the normal rum end lengthwise edge of the strip, and sewing together suc strips in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same said longitudinal ordinal sequence but in individually reversed edge orientation of the strips with the normal rump end lengthwise edge of each longitudinally successive rotated strip facing the resultant apparent head end of the composite pelt and the corresponding normal head end lengthwise edge facing the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt and in turn with the slant of the hair of each such rotated strip extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge to the normal rump end lengthwise edge of the strip.

18. Method according to claim 17 wherein such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ventrally cut-open natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, the lateral half pelt correspondingly having a normal head end, a normal rump end, a proximate edge formed at the central longitudinal cut and a distal edge formed at the corresponding side of the ventrally cut-open natural pelt, with the slant of the hair of the original lateral half pelt extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the half pelt to the rump end thereof, and such laterally extending lengthwise strips are of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately "v 19. Method according to claim 18 wherein the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt from said proximate edge to said distal edge.

20. Method according to claim 18 wherein the corresponding sides along the longitudinal extent of the composite pelt are trimmed to form straight even edges thereat, outwardly flared toward the apparent rump end, constituting corresponding resultant proximate and distal edges.

21. Method according to claim 20 wherein the composite pelt is combined with a corresponding such letout, reassembled and sewn composite pelt of the same type formed from the remaining lateral half pelt of said natural pelt by sewing together the two composite pelts along the corresponding resultant apparent proximate edges thereof.

22. Method according to claim 20 wherein the composite pelt is incorporated in the form of a pelt element in a fur skin containing garment by sewing said composite pelt thereinto.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3. 611 .964 Dated Q h 1 2 122] InventOr( Carl P. Piamniano It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

IN THE SPECIFICATION Column 6, line 1, change "firs" to first IN THE CLAIMS Claim 14, line 1, change "3" to 13 Signed and sealed this 6th day of February 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCI'IER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents M P Q-1050 HO-SQ} USCOMM-DC scam-ps9 9 U 5 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I565 0-366-354 

1. Letout, reassembled and sewn fur-bearing composite pelt which comprises a plurality of separate pieces, cut sequentially from the same natural pelt having the slAnt of the fur hair thereof extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the pelt to the normal rump end thereof, sewn together in reassembled relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn and having the slant of the hair of each such rotated piece extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof.
 2. Pelt according to claim 1 wherein such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ventrally cut-open natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, and include substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately 180*.
 3. Pelt according to claim 2 wherein the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt from a proximate edge, formed at the substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the normal head end of the half pelt to the normal rump end thereof, to a distal edge, formed at the corresponding ventrally cut-open lateral side of the half pelt.
 4. Pelt according to claim 2 wherein the first and last longitudinally successive pieces are approximately triangular shaped, the remaining intermediate pieces are in the form of said strips and are approximately parallelogram shaped, and all of said pieces are sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same said positional sequence.
 5. Pelt according to claim 4 wherein the plurality of separate pieces individually reversed in orientation includes all of the pieces from the same lateral half pelt except the first longitudinally successive piece at the normal head end of the original half pelt, said first piece being retained in original orientation and sewn to the next adjacent piece with the slant of the hair of the first piece extending in the original direction substantially rearwardly from the head end to the rump end in relation to the half pelt.
 6. Letout, reassembled and sewn fur-bearing composite pelt which comprises a plurality of separate pieces cut from the same natural pelt in the form of substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips in longitudinal ordinal sequence in a direction substantially from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, each strip in relation to the original natural pelt having a normal head end lengthwise edge facing the head end and a normal rump end lengthwise edge facing the rump end with the slant of the fur hair of each strip extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge toward the normal rump end lengthwise edge of the strip, sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same said longitudinal ordinal sequence but in individually reversed edge orientation of the strips with the normal rump end lengthwise edge of such longitudinally successive rotated strip facing the resultant apparent head end of the composite pelt and the corresponding normal head end lengthwise edge facing the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt and in turn with the slant of the hair of each such rotated strip extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge to the normal rump end lengthwise edge of the strip.
 7. Pelt according to claim 6 wherein such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ventrally cut-open natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinAl cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, the lateral half pelt correspondingly having a normal head end, a normal rump end, a proximate edge formed at the central longitudinal cut and a distal edge formed at the corresponding side of the ventrally cut-open natural pelt, with the slant of the hair of the original lateral half pelt extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the half pelt to the rump end thereof, and such laterally extending lengthwise strips are of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately 180*.
 8. Pelt according to claim 7 wherein the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original later half pelt from said proximate edge to said distal edge.
 9. Pelt according to claim 7 wherein the corresponding sides along the longitudinal extent of the composite pelt are trimmed to form straight even edges thereat, outwardly flared toward the apparent rump end, constituting corresponding resultant apparent proximate and distal edges.
 10. Pelt according to claim 9 wherein the composite pelt is combined with a corresponding such letout, reassembled and sewn composite pelt of the same type formed from the remaining lateral half pelt of said natural pelt, the combined composite pelts being sewn together along the corresponding resultant apparent proximate edges thereof.
 11. Pelt according to claim 9 wherein the composite pelt is in the form of an incorporated pelt element sewn into a fur skin-containing garment.
 12. Method of fabricating a fur-bearing composite pelt which comprises letting out a natural pelt having the slant of the fur hair thereof extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the pelt to the normal rump end thereof, by cutting sequentially a plurality of separate pieces from the same such natural pelt, and sewing together such pieces in reassembled relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately one-half turn to provide the slant of the hair of each such rotated piece extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt to the resultant apparent head end thereof.
 13. Method according to claim 12 wherein such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ventrally cut-open natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, and include substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately 180*.
 14. Method according to claim 3 wherein the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt from a proximate edge, formed at the substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the normal head end of the half pelt to the normal rump end thereof, to a distal edge, formed at the corresponding ventrally cut-open lateral side of the half pelt.
 15. Method according to claim 13 wherein the first and last longitudinally successive pieces are approximately triangular shaped, the remaining intermediate pieces are in the form of said strips and are approximately parallelogram shaped, and all of saiD pieces are sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same said positional sequence.
 16. Method according to claim 15 wherein the plurality of separate pieces individually reversed in orientation includes all of the pieces from the same lateral half pelt except the first longitudinally successive piece at the normal head end of the original half pelt, said first piece being retained in original orientation and sewn to the next adjacent piece with the slant of the hair of the first piece extending in the original direction substantially rearwardly from the head end to the rump end in relation to the half pelt.
 17. Method of fabricating a fur-bearing composite pelt which comprises letting out a natural pelt by cutting a plurality of separate pieces from the same such natural pelt in the form of substantially laterally extending lengthwise strips in longitudinal ordinal sequence in a direction substantially from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, each strip in relation to the original natural pelt having a normal head end lengthwise edge facing the head end and a normal rump end lengthwise edge facing the rump end with the slant of the fur hair of each strip extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge toward the normal rump end lengthwise edge of the strip, and sewing together such strips in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same said longitudinal ordinal sequence but in individually reversed edge orientation of the strips with the normal rump end lengthwise edge of each longitudinally successive rotated strip facing the resultant apparent head end of the composite pelt and the corresponding normal head end lengthwise edge facing the resultant apparent rump end of the composite pelt and in turn with the slant of the hair of each such rotated strip extending in a direction substantially forwardly from the normal head end lengthwise edge to the normal rump end lengthwise edge of the strip.
 18. Method according to claim 17 wherein such pieces are cut from a lateral half of a ventrally cut-open natural pelt severed from the remaining half thereof by a substantially central longitudinal cut dorsally extending from the head end to the rump end of the natural pelt, the lateral half pelt correspondingly having a normal head end, a normal rump end, a proximate edge formed at the central longitudinal cut and a distal edge formed at the corresponding side of the ventrally cut-open natural pelt, with the slant of the hair of the original lateral half pelt extending in a direction substantially rearwardly from the normal head end of the half pelt to the rump end thereof, and such laterally extending lengthwise strips are of approximately the same width cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt and sewn together in reassembled lengthwise offset relation in the same positional sequence but individually reversed in orientation by rotation approximately 180*.
 19. Method according to claim 18 wherein the strips are long narrow longitudinally successively contiguous strips cut along parallel lines correspondingly outwardly and rearwardly slanting in relation to the original lateral half pelt from said proximate edge to said distal edge.
 20. Method according to claim 18 wherein the corresponding sides along the longitudinal extent of the composite pelt are trimmed to form straight even edges thereat, outwardly flared toward the apparent rump end, constituting corresponding resultant proximate and distal edges.
 21. Method according to claim 20 wherein the composite pelt is combined with a corresponding such letout, reassembled and sewn composite pelt of the same type formed from the remaining lateral half pelt of said natural pelt by sewing together the two composite pelts along the corresponding resultant apparent proximate edges thereof.
 22. Method according to claim 20 wherein the composite pelt is incorporatEd in the form of a pelt element in a fur skin-containing garment by sewing said composite pelt thereinto. 